You know, Avalonian, I do actually get what you are saying, especially now that you have reiterated it. It was really the attitudes of airdisc and CarnalK that bothered me, and I should have made that differentiation in my post. My apologies.
I work in The Media. And yes, we are totally over-covering the Big Day (out of my control). But frankly, I feel that many, many people (but few Dopers) seem to have somehow forgotten what happened that shocking, surreal day.
Maybe I have some kind of emotional disorder, but I have been living and re-living that moment ever since it happened. Ever since I watched the second tower fall. (I was in my truck, hauling ass to work at the paper, listening to the radio as the first one fell.)
The horror of those towers collapsing, vaporizing everyone inside who wasn’t near enough to a window to jump, will never go away, and anything that reminds people of the unspeakable edges of human life that were revealed that day is fine by me. It doesn’t get less evil with time; it only seems like it.
Like every other decent human being on the planet, I was horrified, outraged, and a host of other adjectives on September 11 last year.
This year, like last year, I am going to go to work on September 11. However, I don’t expect to leave the office as early as I did last year.
Yes, people need to be reminded what happened. However, foks need to be able to function, too.
I work in downtown Chicago, a city that has 5 of the world’s 10 tallest buildings. I work across the street from what is either the 3rd or 4th tallest (I can’t remember if the Hancock or the Aon building is the taller of the two). Our neighbor building was built by the same folks who did the WTC, with the same blocky architecture, and some superficial resemblance. Not to mention the 30 stories perched above my own desk in my own building.
It’s a little difficult to keep my mind on work when my mind is continually replaying the tape of very tall office buildings collapsing into rubble heaps and dust, especially when I work in a veritable forest of such tall buildings. As it is, every day when I step off the commuter train and trot down the glass-and-granite canyons of the Chicago Loop I can’t help but think about falling skyscrapers and running people.
It’s not denial that makes me turn off the TV set.
If I am going to function on a day-to-day basis I can NOT be continually subjected to this images.
My preference would be to have some sort of video tape or DVD of a lot of the news coverage so I can look and remember when I have the mental space to express my emotions. As it is, I am now skipping watching TV except for the weather reports (and even those less and less)
Everyone needs to deal with this in their own way. Massive public displays of grief are very therapeutic for many of my co-workers and that’s just fine by me. That approach doesn’t suit me, however. We also had a number of people decide they didn’t want to work downtown in skyscrapers anymore and they got other jobs. Know something? I don’t think that was really denial or running away - these folks were such bundles of nerves they just weren’t functioning well and they made in adjustments in their lives for their own benefit to keep themselves functional. In fact, I applaud their honesty for saying “I can’t do this anymore, I need to make a change so I stay sane” Me - I still like the larger paycheck I get for working downtown. I still like the Chicago skyline. I didn’t want to change my life.
But don’t cop an attitude because there are some things I don’t want to see every day.
To be fair - MOST of what I’ve seen so far has been more tasteful than I expected. Yes, I have bought one or two commerative type things - because I want to. But I’m selective. There is a place for the media in all its forms. But I want to choose what I see and hear and when I see and hear it when it comes to this sort of history.
I agree with Avalonian. I will not watch, read or listen to any media that boosts its rating with its “never-before-seen” footage, or “never-heard-before” interviews with September 11 victims. I do this for several reasons. I find the over-coverage of this anniversary disgusting and pathetic, that media organisations have no respect for the victims and their families by repeatedly showing footage over and over again. It is very disturbing to see over and over again repeated footage of the planes hitting the towers, the towers falling, the big scar in the pentagon, people putting up the missing persons posters, people crying, etc… I find the enormous overwhelming grief displayed by the media to be both too much and insensitive - much of the media has false sympathy and again participate in this outpouring of grief to boost their ratings and position.
I grieve in private and when I choose to. I do not need a big countdown to the big day when tv, newspapers, magazines, radio stations tell me to remember those who died.
Fuck you.
I will be going to work then, and i do not think that i shall be watching much telly that day.
Last year on September 11th, iI had just gotten out of work, I’d gone to the bank to get some money, and i went out to breakfast with my best friend. I went with her while she ran errands and filled her gas tank. We dropped off some stuff at the cleaners to be mended, and went to the grocery store to get some food for her cats and dog.
We were listening to the news all the while, she changed the channel to a Christian station,she wanted to hear what they had to say. She had an appointment to keep, and they had a tellevision on in the background, I was watching and i saw the planes flying into the World Trade Towers. The evil that men do had finally struck me, and even if i did not lose anyone on that day i shall never forget. Never.
Three hundred and sixty- four days out of the year have enormous, giant sucking piles of hype, bullshit and crapola. And I do not think i am asking for much, if the hype machine came to a halt on this day. It would be respectful, classy.
And if this makes me unpatrtiotic , you are cordailly invited to bite me.
We will not forget, we will never surrender, and we will be victorious.
Thank you.
No, thank you, and God Bless!
Finally, someone who makes some sense on the SDMB.